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Strip off all of the old finish with chemical, brush on stripper,,about three times, then sand to 120 grit, lift all the bumps and bruises, use the chemical stripper again, then fill and or repair cracks chips, pick up a small jar of Lin Speed and apply a coat, allow to dry over night, 600 grit sand, apply second coat, allow to dry, 600 grit, then apply third and final coat, all done.

Follow the directions off the Lin Speed site for using Lin Speed.

If you wish to add color, advised if matching in to a complete set, add powdered dye mixed with alcohol, get desired color, oil makes everything darken, so be aware of that, then follow through on oiling process as noted above.

Have fun.

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You may find me dead in a ditch one day, on my knees, but I will be up to my waist in spent rifle brass.

I make my own 1/3 hand-rubbing mix. It's a really nice, satin finish. One third each of BLO, turpentine and melted beeswax. Here's the recipe and instruction, from the old Dick Culver's Shooting Pages.

This is a finish I got from an old-timer at Perry back in the mid-50s who appeared to be old enough to have used it on his issue Trapdoor Springfield in the Indian Fighting Days. I went home and tried it and am still using it to this day:

Go through the cleaning process described above, whisker the stock as outlined and apply the Dixie Antique Gun Stock Stain. Make sure all the dents are steamed out (or filled) and you are happy with the finish.

Apply Tung Oil liberally to the inside of your stock and let dry (this is basically a “waterproofing” treatment. Apply a light hand rubbed coat of Tung Oil to the outside of the stock and allow to dry (this acts to do a preliminary sealing of the grain/pores of the wood.. Use the 0000 Steel Wool (or the Scotch Brite pads) to remove any evidence of the Tung Oil from the outside of the stock. Allow the dried Tung Oil to remain on the inside surfaces.

The “magic finish formula” consists of equal parts of Boiled Linseed Oil, Turpentine (essentially a solvent) and Beeswax. (1/3rd Linseed, 1/3rd Turpentine, and 1/3rd Beeswax. Melt the mixture over a “flameless” heat source (hot plate, radiator or the manifold of your vehicle). Stir the concoction and allow to cool into a paste. Put the paste in a convenient container (I used to use a typewriter ribbon can when they still had such things). You might get a can of Brie Cheese in the Grocery Store, those round cans work well and will fit in your shooting stool most handily inside of a zip-lock bag.

Take your prepared stock and start to rub the Beeswax mixture into the outside of the stock with the palm of your hand. Allow the friction (and generated heat) of your hand to melt the paste into the grain of the wood. You can do this while watching the “tube” and not screw anything up. After you have rubbed in the first coat, rub it down with an old towel. Repeat the process until you are satisfied (you can always add more, and this is one of the beauties of the finish, as it can be used until you get tired of rubbing). The last coat is always burnished with an old (Terrycloth) towel. The final “piece-d-resistance” is a quick final rubdown with a silicone cloth. The finish gives the appearance of a hand rubbed stock with 20 years of effort applied. The Beeswax imparts a waterproof finish to the stock, and any minor scrapes, or scratches can easily be rubbed out of it with a small addition of the Magic Paste. The finish looks good, has a non shiny military appearance, it’s waterproof, doesn’t smoke or bubble the finish in rapid fire and appears to be an original well rubbed rifle stock from the days prior to WWII. It truly IS a hand rubbed finish!

This method works equally well with any military stock and is a really practical finish for your hunting or “head for the hills” stock.

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"The rock of democracy will founder when people think of people unlike themselves as the "other"-Teddy Roosevelt

My daddy was a cowboy in his younger days, wild as the west Texas wind. He once told me, "Son, death is a horse you got to ride. So you better get your saddle ready."